This invention relates generally to the containment of fires and more paticularly to a device which is activated automatically in the event of a fire to prevent the fire from passing through openings in the walls, floors or ceilings of a building.
The common use of plastic pipe and other easily melted objects contributes significantly to the spread of fire through walls, floors and ceilings. The wall or floor openings which receive the plastic pipes and other objects are left in a completely exposed condition when the plastic materials melt under the extreme heat to which they are subjected during a fire. The fire is then able to pass freely through the exposed openings, and it quickly reaches adjoining rooms and spreads throughout the building. In addition to plastic pipe, other objects which often extend through walls, floors, and/or ceilings include electrical wiring; electrical conduit and ventilating ducts. If any of these objects should melt during a fire, their openings are exposed and provide a path by which the fire can rapidly spread throughout a building.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a fire containment device and method which inhibits the spreading of fire by acting automatically in the event of a fire to close off a building opening through which a plastic pipe or other fusible member extends.
Another object of the invention is to provide a fire containment device of the character described in which a cutting blade acts to shear the pipe and cover the exposed opening.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the character described, means for accurately guiding the blade and positioning it to tightly cover the wall opening.
A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is constructed in a manner to withstand extreme heat and to function reliably under fire conditions.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is well adapted for use in connection with plastic pipes, electrical cables and wires, conduits of various types, air ducts, and virtually any other fusible object that passes through a wall, floor or ceiling.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is simple and economical to construct and install and which can be safely handled. In the latter respect, the device is provided with removable safety bolts which assure that the blade will not be inadvertently released during shipping, handling or installation.
Other and further objects of the invention, together with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the following description.